page 63, that the four rooms in the building taken for the temple of the Labyrinth, the largest of which has a compass of 25 feet," are covered with large stones of such a length as to be laid from wall to wall." The great temple at Tentyra, by the plan at page 86, requires blocks of 40 feet in some parts of it. The inner temple at Thebes, which had a span of 19 feet only, might require blocks of 22: and as P. Lucas says of the edifice at Armant, that it is covered with blocks of 20 (French) feet in length, 5 wide, and 3 deep, we have here an example, in the very environs of Thebes, that stones of these dimensions were used in roofs.

But Dr. Pococke has not said how the roof of this edifice was constructed, although he describes its sculptured ornaments. It is Lucas alone, who has given us the important information, which is even more satisfactory, from his not having seen the remains at Thebes. He has given a coarse drawing of it, (in vol. ii. p. 119, of his Third Voyage;) and which has a great resemblance to that of the temple at Seewa.

This, as we have already seen, is also covered with blocks of stone; which, as the building itself is 15 feet in breadth, and as they also form a kind of corniche without, to which is to be added also, the thickness of the walls, they cannot well be less than 21 feet in length. They are described to be five in width, and three in depth; corresponding almost exactly to those at Armant; but as this latter was

He was prevented by illness.

covered with five blocks only, so that of Seewa had six. Not that the number of stones is decisive of the length of the building at Armant; for by Dr. Pococke's plan, at page 110, it appears that it is only the large room in the middle, which requires blocks of that length; the whole structure being divided into three rooms, of which, the smaller ones at the ends, being mere closets, or slips, might have the stones that formed their roofs, laid in the direction of the length of the building. For, as the principal room occupied 26 feet of the whole length of the edifice, which was 46 only, it is obvious that the end rooms must have been very narrow.

These inner temples or sanctuaries, at Thebes and Hermonthis, have certain points of similitude to each other, in their individual proportions, which seems to be the effect of design, although their bulk bears no kind of proportion to those of their respective including temples. First, the inner temple at Thebes, which Dr. Pococke calls "the small granite room," is about 60 feet long, by 19 wide, and 20 in height, within; divided in its length into two equal apartments of somewhat less than 30 each. That of Armant is 46 by 16, and 22 in height. So that the proportions of these two, are about three to one, of the length to the breadth; whilst that at Seewa, as it now appears, has a proportion of about two to one. It is not, however, certainly known, whether

See Dr. Pococke's Plan and Elevation of the Grand Temple at Thebes, at page 92: and the description of the granite room, in page 95.

1 See the Doctor's plan and description, at page 110 of Vol. i.

it might not have been continued to a greater length, beyond the end that is in ruins; and whether there might not have been a second room, roofed with smaller blocks, which may have been removed, and applied to other uses; although those of the large room may be as useless, as they are unmanageable, to the modern inhabitants of the Oasis. It may even be a question, whether the block, said to be fallen down, was not displaced by the operation of removing the end room, and the wall of separation.

In the next place, the two inner temples of Thebes and Hermonthis, occupy the same relative situations: they both stand apart from the greater temples, and within high walls adjoining to them; according to the description of Strabo, p. 805 2.

Again, both are built of granite 3; the most precious material for building, in that quarter, from the excessive cost of the workmanship; whence may be inferred the important or sacred use to which they were appropriated. Dr. Pococke is of opinion, that it was the residence of the beautiful and noble virgin, who devoted herself to Jupiter. page 816.

Strabo,

Respecting the ornaments of the inner temple at

2 See above, page 248. These walls certainly bore no roofing at Thebes. If they had, there would have been no necessity for a particular roof to the sanctuary: and we must conceive the same at Armant.

3

This we learn of the one at Thebes, from Pococke; but of that at Armant, from Savary alone. It has been doubted by some, whether Savary ever visited Upper Egypt: however, he may have collected this fact from others.

Thebes, we are left in ignorance, by the persons who have visited it; otherwise than that Dr. Pococke says, that it had a rich corniche; of which he gives a drawing at page 219. This is much to be regretted, as it leaves no opportunity of comparing so important a part of the design, with those of Armant and Seewa; which, as it may be perceived, have on the whole, a nearer agreement with each other, than those of Armant and Thebes: at least, as far as we are able to make a comparison. Such is the nature of the roofs: both of which, as we have seen, are formed of blocks, of the length of about 21 feet, by 5 wide, and 3 in depth, indicating nearly an equal breadth between the walls, in both structures, and differing in the length of the part, thus covered by the breadth of one block; for the temple at Armant has only five, that at Seewa, six 5.

In the next place, there are precisely the same number of rows of sculptures, on the walls, within, in both of these edifices; that is, THREE. That at Armant, has FOUR without: but as to that at Seewa, Mr. Browne seems to have found the sculptures on the outside, too much defaced to enable him to form

4

Strabo, in his description of the Egyptian temples, says, that there are no sculptures of human figures in the inner temples, or sanctuaries. But this does not agree with the reports of Pococke and Mr. Browne.

5 The blocks at Seewa must have been 53 English feet broad, in order for six of them to cover a space of 32 feet. The five French feet reported by Lucas, at Armant, would be much about the same.

6

Pococke, page 110. Lucas

agrees in his drawing, page 119.

any judgment of the particulars. It was reported at Rome, that Mr. Browne thought he discovered two figures with rams' heads, which appears highly probable. The materials at Seewa, were not of so durable a nature, as those of Armant and Thebes : and therefore have not preserved the original impressions'.

From what has appeared, a doubt can scarcely be entertained that the fabric at Seewa is of Egyptian origin, and of very high antiquity. Nor can it well be doubted, that it had a relation to the worship of Jupiter Ammon, even by those who may doubt its being that famous temple itself. If it be objected that more remains ought to be visible, it can only be answered, that Mr. Browne saw, in the soil around it, indications of the existence of former buildings: and that he also saw some hewn stones that were wrought into the walls of the modern houses. Moreover, it may well be said that the transient view alone, that he was allowed to take of the place, generally, will not warrant a decision of the question, whether there be, or be not, in the island, the materials of the edifices described by the ancients.

There is no reason to suppose that the rest of the

'Mr. Browne says, that the stones are "of the same kind as those of which the Pyramids consist." (Page 19.)

8 As Mr. Hornemann (who is employed by the African Association) was to proceed from Egypt to Fezzan, with the caravan, his route would naturally lie through Seewa. Probably some new lights may be afforded by him; especially if he was apprised of Mr. Browne's discovery, whilst he resided in Cairo: which one might expect he would have been.